The Hindu : Other States / Maharashtra News : My blood is still hot, says Sena rebel

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Sunday, Oct 03, 2004

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Other States - Maharashtra

My blood is still hot, says Sena rebel

By Meena Menon

Bhaskar Jadhav.

CHIPLUN (RATNAGIRI DISTRICT), OCT. 2. "What is my fault, give me justice. I am innocent," state the black and white posters put up by the Shiv Sena rebel candidate, Bhaskar Jadhav, now a celebrity after his dramatic exit from the party. Miffed at being denied the party ticket, the two-time MLA, who has since been expelled, is furiously canvassing for votes in the 135 villages that dot this Assembly segment, about 300 km south of Mumbai.

Mr. Jadhav enjoys substantial Sena support locally. This has caused some discomfiture for the party. As a result, the Chiplun constituency in the Konkan region has become the focus of a party trying to regain its lost face. The Konkan is a bastion of the saffron combine and it cannot afford to lose even a single seat here.

At Kalusta, a prosperous village about 8 km from Chiplun, the native place of cricketer Ghulam Parkar, Mr. Jadhav, 47, is spending the afternoon at a meeting in the Ebrahim Manzil, a private residence. People are distributing gold-coloured finger rings — replicas of Mr. Jadhav's new election symbol. Khatif Ahmed, president of the Muslim Samaj, Chiplun taluka, declared that Mr. Jadhav was unselfish, treated everyone with respect and did not believe in caste or religious differences. "Today [Friday] is Shab-e-Barat, a very auspicious night for Muslims, when Allah has to grant any wish we express. All of us will ask for Jadhav to be voted again as MLA," he said.

Ifitkar Sable said: "The Muslims used to fear the Sena but this man changed everything. When he returned from Mumbai, we saw the tears in his eyes and we should show him those tears were not in vain."

Most speakers held forth on how in the last 10 years, development that was denied to them for 45 years had suddenly come to the villages. Dawood Jable from Kalusta said: "When Jadhav first came to Kalusta, he just got one vote, now he has huge support." Liaquat Chogle, from Gowalkhot village adds: "We vote for the person, not the party."

`I will not suffer insult'

Later when Mr. Jadhav spoke, the small room was full of young and old people, many spilling out into the compound. His one-liners drew loud applause and people cheered him. "I am fighting as an independent, after setting up the Shiv Sena in this taluka. Now after doing all this work, they don't need me. I never felt the need to impress the Muslims. I am aggressive and a fighter and I did my work. I will not suffer insult at Matoshree (residence of Bal Thackeray)."

Mr. Jadhav said that 99 per cent of the Sainiks in the constituency were with him, including six out of seven municipal councillors, most zilla parishad members and 85 per cent of the sarpanches. "My blood is still hot with anger. When I returned, hundreds of people were waiting for me and even when I went to file my nomination, there were thousands of people. Everyone is not for sale. I want to see Shinde [Prabhakar] the official Sena candidate, lose his deposit."

`Won't join any party again'

Mr. Jadhav said he knew how much independent candidates were in demand if they won, but he for one, would not join any party again. Even if he were made an offer, he would decide after consulting his voters. "I have got so many projects approved for the Assembly segment. People will not forget this in a hurry." The major issues in this area are water and communication-related. The biggest problem continues to be unemployment. "Contesting the elections is not an emotional issue for me. It does not matter even if I am not re-elected. I have deep grassroots relations with my people. I have not spread hate and all the Shiv Sainiks are with me."

The Sena maintains that no one who has left the party has ever won an Assembly election. However, Mr. Jadhav is determined to set a precedent. "This is Parshuram's land [Konkan is supposed to be created by Lord Parshuram after moving back the sea.] I know history can be created here. People have voted for me, not the Sena," he said. Commenting on the fact that he won by a mere 1,700 votes in the last election in 1999 (over the NCP's Ramesh Kadam), he said: "It is not an easy constituency. There were several stalwarts elected from here. That cannot be the reason for denying me the ticket. If there was some discord, it should have been debated openly. I am the only MLA who stays in Chiplun most of the time, while the rest live in Mumbai."

Mr. Jadhav, who was a truck driver once, now has declared assets of Rs. 84 lakhs and a thriving transport business. "I do politics in business but not business in politics."

As his red Tata Safari leaves for the next village, groups of people shake his hand and bless him. In their minds, there is no doubt who will win on October 13.

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